IHC clubs pleas in PTDC case

Hearing adjourned till July 22


Saqib Bashir July 10, 2020
PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday clubbed a petition of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation's (PTDC) terminated employees with another case regarding appointment of Zulfikar Bukhari as the acting PTDC chairman and fixed them for hearing on July 22.

Justice Aamer Farooq heard the petition wherein the petitioners had contested their termination from service.

Justice Farooq remarked that an acting chairman could perform duties in certain limits and sought about procedure for appointment of the PTDC chairman.

The prosecutor said the federal government, which owned 97 per cent shares of the PTDC, used to make the appointments.

The court remarked that an acting chairman could only be appointed on temporary basis in the absence of a regular officer holder.

Justice Farooq asked, “What is the role of the Centre in the decision-making process of the PTDC? When PTDC has its own board of directors, then how come the federal government is making its decisions?”

On behalf of a Grade-20 female petitioner, Malik Qamar Afzal Advocate appeared before the court and apprised it that the PTDC had closed its operations in the North on July 1.

Justice Farooq observed that it was written in the circular that the federal government and the PTDC board decided to lay off the employees. “What is the role of the government in the decision-making process of the PTDC?”

The PTDC legal adviser apprised the court that the government’s policy is to temporarily suspend its operations, not close them.

The court clubbed all the petitions and fixed them for hearing on July 22.

 

(With additional input from APP)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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